1. Field of the Invention
My invention relates to a machine for cleaning a plurality of disc-shaped items of various sizes. More particularly, my invention relates to a machine for cleaning a plurality of floor maintenance pads. The pads are cleaned by rotation and agitation in a cleaning solvent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most walking surfaces in public areas require some sort of daily preservation. The floor areas of most buildings are maintained either by in-house personnel or by professional cleaning companies. Typically, these parties employ some sort of commercially manufactured floor scrubber, cleaner or polisher. These machines operate by rotating a pad or set of pads across the area of the floor to be stripped, cleaned, waxed and/or buffed. Generally, these machines operate in conjunction with a variety of stripping, cleaning and waxing solvents. The physical construction of these pads differ somewhat depending upon their intended use. The maintenance pads used for floor stripping and cleaning, for example, function by collecting soil within the mesh network of the pads as they are moved across the floor.
The pads used with most commercial floor scrubbers, cleaners and polishers are disc-shaped. They are generally on the order of 5/8 inch to 7/8 inch thick and have a circular core through which they are mounted for use. The pad material, comprised of a mesh network, is prepared in sheet form, with individual floor pads stamped out therefrom. Because of this uniformity stamping, most pads have a circular core with about a 3-1/2 inch diameter through the center. The outer diameters of these pads vary in size depending upon their intended use and the brand of commercial machine involved.
Once a floor pad becomes sufficiently saturated with soil, it is removed and typically discarded with a new pad inserted in its place. Though these pads are readily available and sold in bulk quantities, the increasing costs of said pads necessitate more than one use per pad. Because of its mesh network construction, a floor pad can be reused if it is sufficiently cleaned. A majority of the soil contained within the mesh network can be dislodged by pressurized hosing of the pad with water. However, this particular pad cleaning operation is only conducted on one pad at a time in a slop sink area. No other means of cleaning floor maintenance pads for reuse are presently known.
It is known that a plurality of disc-shaped items can be cleaned by rotation in a suitable cleaning fluid. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,688,244, a plurality of cream separator skimmer discs were placed upon a rotatable, vertical rod. A cleaning arm was positioned between each disc and attached to a side frame for engaging both the upper and lower sides of adjacent discs. Additionally, it is known that these same skimmer discs can be washed in a pressurized water bath while spun on motorized axles. U.S. Pat. No. 2,225,501.
It is also known that a plurality of rotary brushes can be cleaned by positioning them upon a motorized, vertical axle for placement in a container of cleaning solution. The brushes are further cleaned by being rotated against a set of vertical scrapers and brush combs as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,576,185.